Antiknock control system



Jan. 24, 1939-. R COUCH 2,145,156

ANTIKNOCK CONTROL SYSTEM Filed March 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

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Jan. 24, 1939. X R CQUCH 2,145,156

ANTIKNOCK CONTROL SYSTEM Filed March 25, 19:57 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 v .YINVENTOR.

v RHEA COUCH Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,145,156 ANTIKNOCK CONTROL SYSTEM Rhea Couch, Bartlcsville, 'Okla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March 2 3, 1937, Serial No. 132,613

Claims.

Q s This invention relates to automatic control of combustion conditions in an internal combustion engine.

More specifically the invention relates to automatic control of the fuel mixture supplied to the engine in response to operating conditions.

It is well known that when a modern automobile engine is operated on standard gasoline there are periods during which detonation takes place in the cylinders due to an increase in compression of the fuel inside the combustion chamber over that at normal conditions. This occurs when the throttle is open and the pressure in the intake manifold has risen because of slow speed of the engine. This detonation or knocking, as it is called, has in the past been reduced or eliminated by adding an agent to the fuel before it is dispensed to the consumer. It is obvious that the quantity of agent added to the fuel must be sufflcient to reduce or eliminate the knockingwhich occurs only at spaced intervals of operation, the remainder of engine operating time. such agent being useless and possibly harmful From the in its combustion retarding action. standpoint of. economy and smoothness of operation it is proposed to supply such an agent only at such times as is required by the conditions of operation of the engine and by means of automatically controlled mechanisms.

An important object of the invention is to provide for the automatic admission of anti-knock agents to the fuel system of a combustion engine during those periods in which knocking takes place;

A further important object of the invention is to: provide for the admission of anti-knocking agents to the fuel system of a combustion engine in response to pressure conditions in the fuel system and the position of the throttle.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a form of the apparatus contem plated, r

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the pressure, controlled anti-knock agent valve,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the special throttle plate and associated structure, and

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4, 4 of Fig. 3.-

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, reference numeral l0 designates a fuel intake manifold for an internal combustion engine. Positioned in intake manifold I0 is a throttle valve (see Figs. 3 and 4), comprising a stationary shaft II having concentric thereto a cylindrical shaft I2 carrying a crank arm I3 which is adapted to be linked to an accelerator or throttle control (not shown). Formed on cylindrical shaft I2 is a throttle plate I4. Shaft II is held stationary by means of spud I5 and nut I6. Nut I6 threadedly engages both spud I5 and shaft 'II forming a packing gland at H. Cylindrical shaft I2 with its associated crank arm I3 and throttle plate I4 is rotatably mounted on shaft II by means of bushing I8 which threadedly engages spud I9 and a recess 2|] in the intake manifold wall. A packing gland 2| is formed by spud I9 and bushing I8. Shaft II is shown drilled throughout its length to form a passage or conduit 22 and throttle plate I4 and cylindrical shaft I2 are shown drilled at right angles thereto on that half of the plate which is toward the engine when the throttle is open, to provide a conduit or passage 23. Shaft II is further drilled at right angles to passage 22 in a direction along the length of the intake manifold and toward the engine to provide a passage 24 opening in passage 22. It can be seen that as throttle plate I4 rotates on stationary shaft I I passages 23 and 24 register only when the valve is three quarters to wide open, the-passage openings coinciding in the latter position.

gravity or be pumped through conduit 25. The

other end of shaft II is extended beyond crank arm I3 and is adapted to. be connected to an air cleaner. If desirable passage 22 from the opening of passage 24 to the left in Fig. 3 may be omitted where admission of air is not necessary.

Between throttle plate I4 and the engine an opening 28 is formed in the wall of intake manifold II) surrounded by a boss 29 into which is screw threaded a housing 30. Hermetically sealed in opening 28 is a flexible diaphragm 3I. A valve stem 32 extends from valve 21 to diaphragm 3| to which it is secured. A light spring 33 is-placed back of diaphragm 3I in housing 30.

Valve stem 32 is loosely fitted in the opening comprises a valve casing 34 (see Fig. 2) which is threaded to conduit 25 at 35, 36 and receives valve stem 32 through packing gland 31. Valve stem 32 extends through the valve casing 33 and projects out through packing gland 33 and is headed over at 39 to limit its movement. Adjacent packing gland 31 the interior of valve casing 33 has close fitting relation to the valve stem 32. When the valve stem is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 a passage I in the valve stem is positioned in this latter part of the valve casing and an imperforate portion of.

- the valve stem blocks the flow of fluid through conduit 25. In the other extreme position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 the passage ill in valve stem 32 coincides with the passage in conduit 25 permitting the fluid to flow past that point.

In operation the device is simple and efficient. When the engine is operating under normal conditions with the throttle either wide open or almost closed there is a relatively high degree of vacuum present in the manifold. Thus through the action of diaphragm 3i valve stem 32 is maintained in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. Despite the fact that passage 23 in the throttle plate is open to the interior of the manifold, no fluid is injected by reason of conduit 25 being blocked at valve 21. When load conditions on the motor are heavy and with the throttle wide open or nearly so the pressure in intake manifold M rises. Through diaphragm 3i, valve stem 32 is moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 unblocking conduit 25 for the flow of fluid through the lower portion of the conduit to passages 22, 2|, and 23 to the interior of the intake manifold. It is to be understood-that in most cases the pressure in the intake manifold remains subatmospheric but that spring 33 and diaphragm 28 can be designed or adjusted so as to operate on any pressure differential desired whether it be great or small, superatmospheric or subatmospheric. If desired air can be drawn or forced into passage 22 to mix with the fluid before injection into the manifold.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described. is to be taken as a preferred example of' the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention but that my invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In an internal combustion engine fuel supply system, a fuel intakepipe, throttle means adapted in various positions to control the passage of fuel through said intake pipe, a source of supplementary fluid, means for controlling the admission of said supplementary fluid to said intake pipe in response to the pressure in said intake pipe and the position of said throttle means, comprising a conduit connecting said source with, the intake pipe and said throttle valve comprising a part of said conduit. r

2. In an internal combustion engine fuel supply system, a fuel intake pipe, a throttle valve in said intake pipe, a source of supplementary fluid, a conduit connecting said source with said intake pipe, said throttle valve comprising part of said conduit, and a valve in said conduit operated by the pressure in said intake pipe to block said conduit.

3. In an internal combustion engine fuel supply system, a fuel intake pipe, throttle valve' means adapted to control the passage of fuel through said intake pipe, a source of supplementary fluid connected to said intake pipe by a conduit, said throttle valve comprising a part of said conduit, and means responsive to the pressure .said intake pipe, a source of supplementary fluid,

a conduit connecting said source and said intake pipe and associated with said throttle valve, said conduit being open to said intake pipe only when said throttle valve is open, and means controlling flow through said conduit responsive to pressure in said intake pipe and permitting flow through said conduit only when a relatively high pressure exists in said intake pipe.

5. In an internal combustion fuel supply system, the combination which comprises an intake pipe through which a combustible mixture passes, a throttle means in said intake pipe adapted in various positions to control the passage of a combustible mixture through said pipe, a source of antiknock fluid, a conduit connecting said source with said intake pipe, said throttle valve being associated with said conduit and permitting flow of said antiknock fluid through said conduit when in a position permitting the passage of a large amount of said combustible mixture through said intake pipe, and means connected with said intake pipe further controlling flow through said conduit and blocking said conduit when a relatively low pressure exists in said intake pipe.

RHEA COUCH. 

